1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally pertains to deck hatches for boats or other marine craft. More particularly, the invention relates to deck hatches provided on the deck surface of a boat for the purpose of providing ventilation to the cabin areas below deck and for allowing access to the topside of the deck area from a below-deck location.
It is desirable to provide deck-mounted hatches on marine vessels, such as pleasure boats and fishing boats, in order to achieve cabin ventilation by opening the hatch in periods of fog or rainy weather, or as required, to achieve an acceptably wholesome atmosphere below deck. Optimal ventilation is obtained by allowing for selective opening of the hatch cover to a fully open position, or to any one of a number of intermediate open positions, of the hatch cover. The hatch cover may thus be opened to any extent so that wind and air will be directed below deck as desired to meet individual comfort requirements. Although the hatch cover will primarily be opened while the boat rides at anchor, it may, nonetheless, be desired to open the hatch cover in some instances while the boat is underway. It is thus advantageous that such a hatch cover be capable of being opened easily and safely from below deck.
It is also desirable to provide marine craft with deck-mounted hatches as a means for allowing access to the topside deck area from the cabin or other below deck compartment. A hatch of this type, in order to accomplish this objective, should present an unobstructed hatch opening to the below deck occupant for gaining access to the upper deck. Therefore, it is necessary that the hatch cover be capable of being positively and securely held in an open position so as to prevent the hatch cover from inadvertently closing and, hence, resulting in potential injury Similarly, the means provided for retaining the hatch cover in its open position should be arranged and located so as to prevent blockage of the hatch opening and prohibit accidental knocking, jarring or other disablement of the retaining means on part of the occupant.
The commercial acceptability of a deck-mounted hatch in the pleasure and fishing boat markets, which are characterized by particularly sophisticated purchasers, also depends in large part on styling considerations and aerodynamic criteria. A deck hatch, in order to be commercially utile, is preferably capable of being formed to conform to the contour of any deck shape and to incorporate any styling lines in the deck surface so as to be aesthetically harmonious and appealing. It is further desirable that the deck hatch be formed completely flush with the surface of the deck so as to blend in completely with the deck shape when the hatch cover is in the closed position The hatch is thus aerodynamically continuous with the shape of the deck lines and offers no additional aerodynamic drag when in the closed position. Additionally, the hatch, in the closed position, provides a continuous deck surface upon which users of the boat may stand upon or walk.
Prior art deck hatches directed to the foregoing objectives have proven to be problematic and have failed to receive commercial acceptance. Prior art deck hatches wherein the hatch cover is raised in relation to the deck surface fail to meet prevalent styling and aerodynamic demands. Deck hatches utilizing elaborate frames and numerous parts are commercially impractical. Moreover, prior attempts at providing deck-mounted hatches frequently failed to prevent water leakage through the hatch opening into the underlying compartment, thus seriously undermining their utility.
Thus, the need exists to provide a deck-mounted hatch for marine craft which successfully achieves ventilation of below deck compartments and which allows for access through the hatch from below deck to the upper deck area while being aesthetically appealing, aerodynamically efficient, structurally sound, capable of prohibiting water leakage into below deck areas and permitting safe and easy utilization.
The subject invention achieves the foregoing objectives by providing a deck hatch assembly comprising a submerged surface integrally formed in the deck and having a hatch opening therein which is surrounded by a raised peripheral ridge forming a drainage channel. The present invention further provides a hatch cover, pivotable about a pivot mechanism, which opens from the bulkhead inwardly toward the stern of the boat. A pair of gas spring assemblies is provided for positively retaining the hatch cover in a fully open, or any one of a number of intermediate open, positions. Both the pivot mechanism and the gas spring assemblies are structurally arranged so as not to obstruct the hatch opening when the hatch cover assumes an open position. The deck hatch assembly is formed as an integral molding, adapted to conform to the contour or configuration of any deck, including any deck styling lines. In the closed position, the hatch cover completely seals and closes off the hatch opening and is completely flush with the deck surface so as not to create additional aerodynamic drag. The invention contemplates providing a deck hatch assembly on the port and starboard side of the boat such that, in the open position, the hatch covers are disposed in gullwing-type fashion so as to optimize the ventilation and access functions of the hatch assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally known in the prior art to provide a deck hatch on marine craft including a hatch cover which may be pivotally opened with respect to a hatch opening. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,580, issued on May 31, 1983 to Davidson, teaches a marine door unit comprising a door means formed of a plurality of plates and being hingedly connected to a frame means which defines the door opening in a fishing platform on a boat. The door means is attached to the frame means by a continuous piano-type hinge and is provided with a handle for moving the door means from a closed to n open position.
It is also known in the prior art to provide a deck hatch having a hatch cover which is movable from a closed to a fully open position, or any intermediate position, and which is positively retained in said position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,024, issued on Aug. 24, 1976 to Fillery, discloses a boat hatch including a hatch cover and a base frame. The frame is secured around a deck opening with the cover being connected thereto by means of a plurality of releasable hinge couplings, or espagnolette bolts. The cover may be opened along either of two of its opposite edges by disconnecting the bolts. The cover can be progressively opened from a closed to an open position, or to any intermediate position, and is retained in said position by means of stay mechanisms. The stay mechanisms each comprise a pair of slidably-connected stay members which are locked in position by a hand screw.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,083, issued on Jan. 21, 1975 to Goiot, teaches a hatch mounted on a frame which is fixed to the roof and deck of a boat. A plurality of lugs are provided for articulating the hatch to the frame. A pair of telescopic bars, in conjunction with a lock screw, serves to hold the hatch in a position corresponding to a predetermined opening of the hatch.
The prior art further teaches the provision of a deck hatch for purposes of providing cabin ventilation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,440, issued on Nov. 17, 1981 to Holter, is directed to a ventilating hatch assembly including a coaming provided around an opening in the deck and extending thereabove, a detachable hatch frame which fits around the coaming, and a hatch cover pivotally attached to the hatch frame by means of a piano hinge. The hatch cover is maintained at a selected opening position by means of a spring assembly comprising a tension coil spring attached at one end to a cross member, and at the other end to a car which may be selectively positioned on a track.
The prior art also discloses means for closing an opening in a boat hull wherein water is directed to flow downwardly away from the opening. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,340, issued to Thorpe on Sept. 10, 1974 on a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,170, teaches a container for utilization in an opening in a boat hull and comprising a bin which is adapted to fit within an opening formed in a recess in the boat hull. The surface of the recess is sunk below the level of the deck and is provided, adjacent the opening, with a raised and bevelled marginal edge so as to form an inclined drainage channel. A separable hatch cover closes the bin, being connected to the hull by means of a retaining strap.
It is also known in the prior art to provide a hinged hatch roof assembly in a vehicle cab for serving as an escape hatch and for providing ventilation. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,197, issued on Nov. 15, 1983 to Meyer, discloses an opening in the roof of a vehicle cab having a framework to which is connected a hatch 32. A desired open position of the hatch is obtained by pivoting of a pair of support arms relative to the roof, with the hatch being pivoted relative to the support arms.
The prior art fails to teach or suggest a fully molded deck hatch assembly which is specifically adapted to conform to the camber or contour of a particular deck surface, including any styling lines thereof, which is water-tight, aerodynamically efficient and which is incorporated in a deck surface in gullwing-type fashion to effectively provide for cabin ventilation as well as possible access to the deck surface from areas below.